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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · march · coach · fine · roll · branch · bay · safe

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. roll — a cake
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com